Just wonderful to see a clinical day's tennis from both these two... Since both have obvious potential way higher than they have been playing of late, I hope that these results help give them the confidence going into next year that if they start to play consistently to the kind of level they reached today that both can be much higher.
Buzarnescu v Lisicki had, if not everything, then certainly most things, including a post-first set tantrum from Buzarnescu for which Naomi Cavaday had to apologise in case viewers were offended by all the swearing. I got the impression she believed the lines-people and umpire were conspiring against her. Her coach's efforts to get her to concentrate on the match didn't seem successful yet she went 4-1 up and missed 4 bps for a double break lead, though Sabine's erratic play was a key factor in the ebbs and flows of the contest.
The net result of a crazy match being that Naomi plays Sabine in the next round.
Buzarnescu v Lisicki had, if not everything, then certainly most things, including a post-first set tantrum from Buzarnescu for which Naomi Cavaday had to apologise in case viewers were offended by all the swearing. I got the impression she believed the lines-people and umpire were conspiring against her. Her coach's efforts to get her to concentrate on the match didn't seem successful yet she went 4-1 up and missed 4 bps for a double break lead, though Sabine's erratic play was a key factor in the ebbs and flows of the contest.
The net result of a crazy match being that Naomi plays Sabine in the next round.
The only previous time Naomi & Sabine met, Naomi (then ranked 93 to 3rd seed Lisicki's 31) won 7-6(4) 1-6 7-5 in the Kuala Lumpur QFs, which I think was also the last time (certainly the last week) two British women not called Johanna Konta won WTA singles main draw matches on the same day before today! That week (in Feb/Mar 2016), Hev won the title in Monterrey and Naomi made the SFs in KL.
The only time since then that Hev and Naomi have both made WTA singles main draw R2 in the same week was in Monterrey this year, but in that case, they didn't both win matches on the same day.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Lisicki is one of my favourite other players along with Garcia so would like to see her do well. Having said that Naomi's game is probably my favourite of all our women as well so it's a winner in both for me. I like the unpredictable way Naomi plays, moments or genius, skill and grace followed by terrible shots and awkward positioning.